1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to imaging decoding of asynchronous laser pulses.
2. Description of Related Art
Lasers are commonly used in observation and targeting applications, for example, in guiding laser-guided munitions or weapons to a target. Targeting systems may observe and detect the range of an object. Targeting systems may also designate a target for detection by another weapon system in order to deliver the weapon to the designated target. Such targeting systems generally use a set of devices to perform the operations described with precision, for example, global positioning systems, observation binoculars, laser rangefinders, digital magnetic compasses, and laser designators.
In order to image and decode the repetition frequency of asynchronous laser pulses, standard electro-optical systems perform signal processing at multiple levels in the signal chain. Firstly, the Read-Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) receives illumination and performs a first pass at processing the acquired signal. Subsequently, this initially-processed signal is conveyed to another processing unit, which can take the form of a Field Programmable Array (FPGA), Digital Signal Processor (DSP), or some other type of processor, in order to extract high fidelity information from the acquired signal. One desired result of signal processing can be the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) code, which is highly useful in laser range finding (LRF) applications. This additional processing step adds significant undesirable power consumption, latency, and cost to the information extraction process.
While conventional systems and techniques have been considered adequate for their intended purposes, there is an ever present need for improved imaging and decoding of asynchronous laser pulses. This disclosure provides a solution to this need.